Security systems are often installed within and around buildings such as commercial, residential, or governmental buildings. Examples of these buildings include offices, hospitals, warehouses, schools or universities, shopping malls, government offices, and casinos. The security systems typically include subsystems such as intrusion detection subsystems that include security devices (“devices”) such as intrusion panels and door and window contact switches, otherwise known as relays, access control subsystems that include devices such as access control readers and door controllers, and video surveillance subsystems that include devices such as surveillance cameras (“cameras”) and network video recorders (NVRs), to list a few examples.
Consider the access control subsystems. The access control readers are often installed at access points of the buildings to control access to restricted areas, such as buildings or areas of the buildings. Examples of access points include front and interior doors of a building, elevators, hallways connecting two areas of a building, to list a few examples. The access control readers authenticate identities of (or authorize) individuals and then permit those authenticated individuals to access the restricted areas through the access points. Typically, individuals interact with the access control readers by swiping keycards or bringing contactless smart cards within range (approximately 2-3 inches or 5 centimeters) of a reader. The access control readers read the information of the keycards and then the access control readers determine if the individuals are authorized to access the restricted areas. If the individuals are authorized to enter the restricted areas, then the access control readers allow access to the restricted areas by signaling door controllers that might unlock locked doors, signaling that doors should be unlocked, or generating alarms upon unauthorized entry, for example.
Consider the video surveillance subsystems. Video surveillance systems are often used for a number of different tasks, such as intelligence gathering by governments and businesses, prevention or investigation of crime by law enforcement or retail establishments, and monitoring the usage of resources or structures such as buildings, to list a few examples.
A number of components/devices are common to many of these video surveillance systems. Surveillance cameras capture image data that are typically then sent over one or more data networks, such as governmental, service provider, enterprise or home networks. This image data are typically stored on network video recorders (NVRs). Video analytics systems are often included to analyze the image data. Finally, control systems are often used to control the surveillance systems and coordinate the operation of the components.
These video analytics systems have the capability of automatically analyzing image data to detect and determine temporal and spatial events. Minimally, these systems track objects against fixed background scenes. More sophisticated functions include object detection to determine the presence of an object or a type of object. Even higher level functions include object analysis, such as object identification.
The methods employed by video analytics systems for detecting and analyzing classes of objects in image data have become more accurate in recent years, and are, as a consequence, becoming more and more important in video surveillance systems. Two common examples of object analysis within image data are facial recognition of individuals and license plate recognition, or number plate recognition. Some of these video analytics systems are sophisticated enough to identify a particular person from their facial characteristics, and can identify a particular license plate by reading and recognizing the text and numbers within the license plate, in examples.
Finally, consider the intrusion detection subsystems. These subsystems typically include door and window relays that are installed to determine whether a door or window has been opened. In the situation where the intrusion panels have been armed, an opening of a door detected by a door relay can be used to generate an alarm. In other case, the intrusion detection subsystems can be used in conjunction with access control subsystems to monitor when a door has been opened after it has been unlocked or when the access control subsystem has been circumvented and the door forced open, for example.